


On Your Side

by Pembrooke330



Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Love, Parent abuse, Regonica, Riverdale, Sex, Veggie, Veronica Lodge - Freeform, reggie and veronica, reggie mantle - Freeform, reggie mantle and veronica lodge, regonica one shot, veggie one shot, veronica and reggie, veronica lodge and reggie mantle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 11:14:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17744885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pembrooke330/pseuds/Pembrooke330
Summary: Reggie Mantle's father will no longer get away with hurting his son now that Veronica Lodge has claimed Reggie's heart.





	On Your Side

“You are a fucking _child_ and you know _nothing_ about what it takes to provide for this family! How many times have I told you to stop embarrassing us with these shenanigans you keep getting yourself involved in? You are a constant disappointment! You are a pathetic excuse for a son! Now get out of my fucking face, Reginald! Or else!”

But Reggie didn’t get out of his dad’s face, instead, he attempted to plead his case one more time.

“But dad, it wasn’t my fault! Jughead’s mom could have had us killed if I hadn’t given her my car.”

Marty Mantle glared at his son, and it was a look Reggie was all too familiar with.

Reggie braced himself for the inevitable punch to the face.

But he never got used to the sting of his father’s right hook as he staggered backwards and caught himself by grabbing the top of the wingback chair in the dark living room.

He had come home late from La Bonne Nuit, trying to figure out how he was going to tell his dad that Gladys Jones had demanded his car in order to let Veronica and Reggie go unscathed. But when it came down to it, there was no right way to tell his father what he’d gotten himself into and why.

Reggie didn’t care about the car nearly as much as he cared about protecting Veronica. He would do anything for her. He loved her.

“I give you _everything_ , and you do this kind of shit to me? Bring this kind of shame to our family? You are the most irresponsible person I have ever known. And don’t think I’m replacing your car. You are on your own!”

And with that, Marty left the living room in a fury of anger, slamming the backdoor behind him.

Reggie sighed deeply as he walked to the kitchen and grabbed a handful of ice out of the freezer, wrapping it in a paper towel before putting to his swelling eye.

“Why must you anger him so much?”

Reggie looked through one eye to see his mother standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

“Seriously, mom? All I have to do is breathe wrong and he gets cheesed off at me. Maybe if you tried to have my back every so often, he wouldn’t lay into me all the fucking time.” He replied, frustrated at his mother’s lack of help when it came to the way his father “parented”.

“Don’t use that foul language with me, son. You _know_ your father has every right to be angry with you for getting involved with that Lodge girl. Why couldn’t you have dated someone like that nice Betty Cooper?”

Reggie shook his head as he let out a sarcastic laugh. Sometimes he couldn’t believe this was his life. That he had ended up with such a messed up family.

“I’m getting the fuck out of here.” He grumbled as he left the same way his father had just minutes earlier.

He had no vehicle anymore, since Gladys hadn't even left the clunker she'd showed up in, but there was no way he was staying at home. So he began walking, not knowing where he was going until he found himself heading towards Pop’s, the only place in town open 24 hours a day.

He sat alone in the corner booth, drinking black coffee as he touched his eye. It was still tender to the touch, and would be purple in the morning, but at least it had only been one punch this time. It was the throws to his stomach that always hurt the most, especially since he had to act like it was no big deal during football or wrestling practice. He could never let the other guys see how much pain he was in. He didn’t want anyone to feel sorry for him. He had a reputation to maintain, and he couldn’t afford to be weak.

But just then, his ultimate weakness walked through the door of the chock-lit-shoppe.

Veronica looked around frantically before her eyes finally fell on him and her panicked face turned to a look of somber concern.

She rushed over and immediately scooted into the booth with him, taking his face in her hands to look at him closely before saying a word.

“That fucking _asshole_.” She seethed as she pulled a tube of some type of ointment out of her purse and squeezed some onto her finger.

“It’s fine, Ronnie.” He said with a tired sigh.

She shook her head as she carefully dabbed the salve around his eye.

“It’s _not_ fine, Reggie. Thank _God_ Pop called me and told me you were up here. I’m not letting you spend the night in a diner, not even my own.”

Reggie could feel tears pricking at his eyes. No one had cared like this before, and he didn’t even know how to respond to it.

“Veronica, just stop. I can take care of myself.” He said as he jerked back from her gentle touch, his jaw clenched.

But Veronica wasn’t buying the act. She wouldn’t let him push her away that easy.

“I know you can, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t be here for you. I want to help you, Reggie…and I want you to _let_ me help you…because…Reginald Mantle...I love you.”

He looked at her with wide eyes. He had never heard anyone ever say those three words to him before in his whole, entire life. Not even his mother or father had ever said those words. He didn’t even know how to process them.

Veronica looked at him shyly.

“You don’t have to say anything, but can you at least let me take you to the police station? It’s time your father pay for what he’s been doing to you. You need to press charges, Reg. And then, you’ll stay downstairs in the club with me. We can be teen runaways together.” She said with a chuckle.

Reggie smiled weakly as she looked into her eyes.

She was so strong and so sure. And it was her belief that he deserved better, and the fact that she loved him, that made him agree to go file a police report that very night.

He knew life would change in a lot of ways after that, but Veronica had been right. He couldn’t let his father get away with how he’d been treating him and his mother throughout their lives. Enough was enough.

“I’m sorry about the accommodations. I know a blowup mattress on a bar floor isn’t ideal.” Veronica said with a bashful smile as she put clean sheets on the mattress for Reggie.

Reggie shook his head, smiling warmly at her.

“It’s fine, Ronnie. I’m just glad my grandma agreed to cover for me and tell child services that I’m staying with her. But I feel safer here.”

Veronica nodded.

“Me too.” She replied quietly as she removed her cape and lay it on a nearby chair.

She said nothing else as she looked up at him half expectantly, waiting for him to make the first move. She hadn’t wanted to push, in case he wasn’t in the mood, but he could tell that she wanted him to know she was willing and ready.

“I’m proud of you, Reg. But I’m so sorry for what you’ve been going through. I wish I could…do more for you.” She said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Reggie stepped closer to her as he used his thumb to wipe the tear away.

“Veronica, you’ve already done more for me than anyone else _ever_ has. You saved me.”

His heart thundered in his chest as he gazed at her. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve her, but he said a silent prayer of thanks to whatever cosmic force had brought Veronica Lodge into his life.

He needed her to know just how much she meant to him. So he took a deep breath before uttering the words that he had never said to anyone before.

“And…I love you.”

Veronica smiled, a look of relief in her eyes, as if she’d been hoping he felt the same way about her that she felt about him.

He kissed her then, his hands weaving their way into her dark hair as his lips worked hers slowly, deliberately, and with no plans of stopping anytime soon.

She moaned into his mouth as her hands began to undo the button on his pants.

They undressed each other quickly before collapsing onto the blowup bed, their bodies tangling together while their mouths explored each other incessantly.

And when Veronica begged for him to make love to her, he complied, wanting nothing more than to give her the best night of her life.

Every whimper that escaped from Veronica’s lips made him go harder, deeper, until she was writhing beneath him after every single orgasm he gave her.

His muscles got weak every time she moaned his name, biting her lip in between gasps.

“Oh…Reggie…” She sighed as she held his head to her chest after his raucous climax.

His body shook as he listening to the manic rhythm of her heartbeat. He had never felt more at peace than he did right then.

Veronica stroked his hair as he began to catch his breath. Her touch was so gentle and calming, and such a contrast to the hard hit from his father just hours earlier.  

“Thank you, Ronnie…for everything.” He said in the dark quiet of a closed La Bonne Nuit.

Veronica sighed happily.

“You’ve done so much for me, Reggie. You’ve been a true, loyal friend. I love you so much, and I don’t know what I’d do without you…so never doubt that I will do _anything_ for you. No matter what.”

Reggie sat up so he could look at her, but immediately felt a jolt throughout his body at the way her naked skin moved against his.

He bent down and kissed her breasts as he slid back inside of her, ready to pleasure her all over again.

“We make a good team, you and I.” He said with a sexy smirk as he rocked his body on top of hers.

“We do…for now and for always.” She replied breathlessly as she wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him to her for a long, deep kiss.

Reggie never would have thought that he would find his salvation in a girl that had once wanted nothing to do with him. But he’d taken the time to look deeper, and she’d seen more in him as well.

He didn’t know where life would take him after their night together, but he knew that for the first time ever, he had someone on his side and he would never take it for granted for as long as he lived.

 

The End.

 

 


End file.
